Mubtaahij in good health after receiving hormonal treatments to help fertility

International warrior Mubtaahij, a durable son of Dubawi who was a Grade 1 winner in America and placed twice in the Dubai World Cup, has been given hormonal treatments in Argentina after experiencing fertility problems.

Alejandro Garcia Romero, manager of Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Maktoum’s South American equine interests, said that the now nine-year-old Mubtaahij is in good health following the treatment.

“We hope his fertility improves for the 2021 breeding season,” Romero said, adding that Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa currently intends to keep the earner of over $5.78 million in Argentina, where he has stood at Julio Menditeguy’s Haras Abolengo near Buenos Aires.

Argentine Stud Book records show that one foal, a filly, was born after Mubtaahij covered ten mares during the 2019 southern hemisphere breeding season. However, another filly has also been confirmed.

The filly listed in the stud book records was produced on August 3, 2020, by the unraced Equal Stripes mare Bambi Mia at Abolengo. Bambi Mia is a half-sister to Grade 2 winner Bobby Marley, a son of Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa’s UAE Triple Crown winner Asiatic Boy.

Graded stakes-placed Mercy Me, another daughter of Equal Stripes, also produced a filly last August at Haras El Turf.

Other mares covered by Mubtaahij, albeit apparently unsuccessfully, in his initial season at stud include Grade 1-placed Galicada, dam of undefeated Grade 1 Estrellas Juvenile winners Galicado and Got Talent; 2007-08 Argentine champion juvenile filly Inca Noble, a daughter of Ride The Rails and dam of graded stakes-placed Arabee; and La Laurita, dam of multiple graded winner City Tune.

Romero said Mubtaahij was bred to three mares during the 2020 season.

Bred in Ireland by Dunmore Stud Ltd from the Pennekamp mare Pennegale, Mubtaahij was sold at the 2013 Arqana Deauville yearling sale, commanding €450,000 from Form Bloodstock. A half-brother to Prix de l’Opera winner Lily Of The Valley, he is from the family of Godolphin’s multiple Group winner Shakespearean as well as Group winners Rainbows For All and Al Jazi.

Mubtaahij raced in Britain, the UAE and United States over five seasons, earning in excess of $1m in three separate years. After failing in two starts on turf in Britain, the handsome bay found success on dirt.

Trainer Mike de Kock saddled Mubtaahij for victories in two of the three UAE Triple Crown races at Meydan, the Listed Al Bastakiya and the $2m Grade 2 UAE Derby, as the colt carried Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa’s blue and yellow silks.

Encouraged by those performances, the owner and trainer dispatched Mubtaahij to the 2015 Kentucky Derby, and he ran a fair race under Christophe Soumillon to finish eighth behind eventual Triple Crown winner American Pharoah. Mubtaahij followed up with a solid fourth in the Belmont Stakes.

In 2016, Mubtaahij chased winner California Chrome home in the Dubai World Cup, finishing ahead of American Grade 1 winners Keen Ice, Hoppertunity, Frosted and Mshawish. Back in America, he was beaten a head by Shaman Ghost in the Grade 1 Woodward Stakes.

Mubtaahij and Drayden van Dyke win the Grade I Awesome Again Stakes at Santa AnitaCredit: Benoit Photo

Mubtaahij collected his own Grade 1 trophy in the 2017 Awesome Again Stakes at Santa Anita while trained by Bob Baffert, and he went on to finish third in the 2018 Dubai World Cup won by Thunder Snow. In all his career yielded five wins and ten placings from 24 starts.

Romero said Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa currently has 29 mares and nine juveniles in training in South America, along with three stallions and weanlings and yearlings produced by the mares.

“He has great pedigrees, including mares by Dubawi, Galileo, Giant’s Causeway, Southern Halo, Candy Ride, etc,” Romero said.

In addition to sending some of his South American-based broodmares to Mubtaahij, Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa continues to support Asiatic Boy, whose offspring include Vale Dori, a filly who won Grade 1 races in Argentina and the US and also raced in Dubai.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa also is breeding mares to his American multiple stakes winner Dabster, a son of Curlin who was a $1m juvenile purchase. Dabster was sent to Argentina in August 2020.

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